“It is a matter for you to decide.”
“I know what you’d do. You’d break it off. You’re strong. I admire you. You left your husband and they would all say that was social suicide. But you don’t care about that, do you?”
“I don’t seek to go into society.”
“Prince Albert wouldn’t receive you. He’s very straitlaced.”
“I can well do without Prince Albert’s company. I do not want to be received by anyone. I am comfortable here. I am quite ready to leave everything as it is until I find out what I can do.”
She looked at me with sparkling eyes.
“I thought it was wonderful the way you went into that hospital.”
“Wonderful! It was horrible.”
“I know. But to go in and get that girl out. It was magnificent. So I thought you were the one whom I should ask.”
“My dear Miss Marlington, you are the only one who can decide on that.”
“But if it were you, would you go ahead and marry him?”
I closed my eyes. Those memories persisted. This man who was so much older than herself, how did she know what he would expect other? She was not in love with him. That much was clear; and fears had come to her. I remembered the dream I had had on the night before my wedding.
Had that been a warning? I had not recognized it as such. But this girl was being more clearly warned.
I said: “You are not in love with him. If you were, you would want to marry him.”
“So you think I should break it off’ ” How can I advise you? It is for you to decide. “
“But if you were in my place, what would you do?”
I did not answer.
“I know,” she said triumphantly.
“Thank you, Miss Pleydell.”
Her mood changed. She became very merry. She told me amusing incidents about coming out in society; how the importance of making one’s mark was astonishing. Her first ball had been a nightmare before it started and turned out to be a triumph.
“I was so scared that I should be a failure and no one would ask me to dance. To be a wallflower is the haunting fear of every debutante.
And if you are a success, all the mamas are a-titter and terribly jealous except your own, of course, who is triumphant. It is an ordeal.”
“Which I am sure you came through with flying colours.”
“I had lots of partners and it was fun, and it went on being fun for a long time. Then Tom appeared, and there was all the excitement which grew and grew. I was petted and pampered, their darling, their ewe lamb, their saviour. It is a terrible responsibility.”
We had come round to the subject again.
When she left me, she took my hand and held it.
“May I call you Anna?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“And you will call me Henrietta.”
I agreed. I expected I should not see her again, but I should probably hear whether or not she had broken her engagement. It would be in the society columns of the newspapers.
I was unprepared for the sequel. Two days later a jar vie arrived at the house. I looked through the window and, to my amazement, saw Henrietta stepping out. The driver was carrying two travelling bags to the door.
Jane answered the knock.
I heard Henrietta’s voice.
“Is Miss Pleydell at home?” And then to the driver.
“Just bring those bags in, will you, please? Thank you very much.”
I waited.
Jane came into the drawing-room where I had been sitting reading.
“That young lady is back, Madam,” she said in her parlour maid voice.
“And it looks like she’s come to stay.”
Henrietta, flushed and triumphant, was ushered into the drawing-room.
“I’ve done it,” she said.
“I couldn’t face the family so I ran away.”
“But …” I began.
“I thought you’d let me stay … just for a little while … just till they get used to it. There’ll be such a storm.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to stay and face it?”
“Well, to tell the truth, I think they would try to persuade.”
“But if you have made up your mind …”
“You don’t know my family. There’ll be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. I couldn’t have stood it. I’m not strong like you.
Mama would have wept and I hate to see that. I might have given way and I know I must not give way. The only thing to do was to leave. So I thought, as you’d been so kind to that girl who had gone to the hospital, you’d be kind to me, too. You won’t send me away, will you?”
“Of course I wouldn’t do that. But I do wonder if you have been wise.”
“I feel loads better. I really was scared of Tom Carlton. It was the way he looked at me .. as though there were all sorts of things in his mind. He’s old and he has had lots of mistresses … all sorts, I believe. I didn’t feel I would come up to his expectations. So it is better for him really that I get out now, before we both realize what a big mistake we’ve made. I thought I’d stay here till the storm blows over. Tom can find someone else and my family will get over the disappointment in time. After all, those death watch beetles have been at it for hundreds of years, a few more won’t make much difference, and then perhaps we’ll have someone in the family who knows how to retrieve the fortune, and perhaps one of them will be able to find a benefactor and marry him. I’m babbling on, aren’t I? I do, you know.
But if you could understand how relieved I feel. “
I said: “You may certainly stay the night. Perhaps in the morning you will have changed your mind. Have you told your parents where you are going?”
“In my note, I said to a friend. I have a number of acquaintances where I could go. And I’ve written to Tom trying to explain that I don’t think I’m ready for marriage.”
“I will ask them to prepare a room. We have just one spare room. This is not a big house, you know.”
“I know. That’s what I like about it. I’m heartily sick of baronial halls and magnificent linenfold panelling which has to be preserved at the cost of one’s self-respect.”
“I think you should consider your future. You see, I am a woman who has left her husband. Society is not very kind to people like me.”
“Who cares for society?”
“I don’t. But are you sure you don’t?”
“Absolutely. I’m going to love talking to you.”
“I think you make rather hasty judgements.”
“Well, perhaps, but I’m right in some, and I’m right about us. You and I are going to be friends.” And that was how Henrietta Marlington came to live with me.
It was not to be expected that Henrietta’s family would allow her to escape lightly. For weeks there were comings and goings, entreaties and threats. I was amazed at Henrietta’s resolve. I had thought her rather frivolous, and so she appeared to be in many ways, but the frivolity hid an iron resolve. I was rather disturbed to find myself in the centre of a storm, which was the last thing I wanted; and there were occasions when I wished I had not allowed myself to accept the invitation to Amelia’s parents’ dinner-party. Yet on the other hand I was growing increasingly fond of Henrietta. She was an enchanting creature and her presence in the house was a joy to us all. Jane, Polly and Lily were her fervent admirers; they were ready to take up arms against the whole Marlington clan and Lord Carlton himself if they persisted in their attempts to force Henrietta into taking action which was repulsive to her.
Henrietta’s mother came to see me to beg me to try to persuade Henrietta to think of her future.
I said I believed that that was what so concerned her.
She replied that Henrietta was young and had always been headstrong, and she did not realize what an opportunity she was throwing away. I had great influence with her.